Umahi orders arrest of contractor over shoddy road project in Ebonyi

ABAKALIKI — GOVERNOR David Umahi of Ebonyi State, yesterday, ordered the arrest of a contractor handling Okposi-Umuoghara-Ebiaji Road in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state for executing a shoddy job as against government specifications after collecting N200 million mobilization fees.

Umahi

Umahi, who gave the order while inspecting the road at Okposi-Umuoghara, also directed that a Ministry of Works official, Solomon Eze, be suspended for two months for lack of proper supervision of the project.

The governor, who was dissatisfied with the job, directed his aide de camp, ADC, to ensure that the two officials of the company present during the inspection were handed over to police for prosecution.

He described the work of the contracting firm as very deceitful and fraudulent, warning that government would not take it lightly with any contractor that takes delight in cutting corners instead of concentrating on the project assigned to it for the interest of Ebonyi people.

In a chat, Commissioner for Works and Transport, Fidelis Nweze, said the company did less than two kilometres of earthwork with poor drainage system.

Nweze said: “We frown so much at that act because the contractor is supposed to have achieved a minimum 40 per cent of that job. What we saw on ground was less than 10 per cent of the job.We are not happy about it.

“On that note, we have suspended the engineer supervising the job from the ministry for two months for not briefing the ministry and government accordingly. We we will be approaching the court for justice.”